Tony DeNardo calls his life a fairy tale.
It’s because he has continued to play music despite the debilitation of his right hand, along side long time friend Danny Methric since 1992, including in blues-rock trio The Muggs, who are playing Casa Nueva, 6 W. State St. at 10 p.m., Friday, with Athens bands Hex Net and Weird Science.
It’s because DeNardo survived a stroke in 2001 that left him unable to play music for almost a year.
It’s because even after his right hand no longer allowed him to play bass guitar, he learned to play all of his parts on a Fender Rhodes Bass, just like Ray Manzarek from The Doors.
“I wasn’t sure I would survive (the stroke),” DeNardo said. “So what Danny did, which was amazing, really helped me out … he said there wouldn’t be The Muggs without Tony. So that spoke volumes to me.”
The Muggs reformed in 2003 after DeNardo learned to play the Rhodes, and they drew attention in their home Detroit, as well as across the country, including an appearance on FOX TV show “The Next Great American Band.”
“Danny and I were in two bands all the time,” DeNardo said. “We were always in a blues band and we were always trying to write our own songs.”
DeNardo said to expect a high-energy set, rounded out by the thick sound of his Rhodes bass.
“When you see The Muggs for the first time, we’re just all heart and soul,” DeNardo explained. “It’s heavy. It’s raw. It’s not perfect and I think it’s not perfect in a perfect way.”
They apply the blues to the dirty rock and roll of bands like Soundgarden or the Stone Temple Pilots, DeNardo said.
“We’re just (a) blues band and we love band, and we love classic rock,” DeNardo said. “We’re trying to hang with The Beatles and every band that we grew up on.”
Rounding out the noisy blues-rock of The Muggs are Hex Net and Weird Science, who both bring their own sense of vitality to their shows.
Weird Science has been at work on new material, said Zachary Fuller, guitarist and vocalist for the band. He said they’re looking to test out new material during their set.
“The shows were starting to get a little stale,” Fuller said. “We’re trying to finish writing our second album, so we’re trying a lot of that stuff out.”
